Santa Monica Daily Press, September 03, 2011

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SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

Volume 10 Issue 251

Santa Monica Daily Press

LOCALS REACT TO PLASTIC BAG BAN SEE PAGE 5

We have you covered

THE FIGHT ON! ISSUE

Biz leaders worried about possible AFM departure

BY KEVIN HERRERA Editor in Chief

OCEAN AVE Business leaders here are concerned about rumors that the American Film Market, which brings hundreds of movie industry insiders and their cash to the city each fall, is exploring a move from Loews

Santa Monica Beach Hotel to L.A. Live.

The Hollywood Reporter, citing unnamed sources, reported this week that AFM, one of the world’s largest film markets, could move to downtown Los Angeles after its contract with Loews expires after 2012. Loews has been the headquarters for the market since 1991.

The trade publication said AFM began

looking at other locations after Loews asked for an increase in the rates it charges.

Anschutz Entertainment Group, which manages the L.A. Live complex, has stepped in with an offer at a much lower cost than the Loews bid. Loews is said to have made a counteroffer earlier this week to try and retain the event, which each fall attracts more than 8,000 people involved in the

independent production and distribution of movies from over 70 countries, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Representatives from AFM did not respond to requests for comment.

This year’s market is scheduled from Nov. 2 to Nov. 9 at Loews. It is estimated that $800 SEE MARKET PAGE 8

Will Rogers parents get a lesson in failing

BY ASHLEY ARCHIBALD Daily Press Staff Writer

SUNSET PARK Parents gathered at Will Rogers Thursday night to hear Principal Steven Richardson dispel their fears about news that their chosen elementary school had failed to meet requirements set forth by the federal government for school funding.

The answer was plain. The benchmarks required to get those federal dollars are set to rise between 10 and 11 percent every year, a pace that almost two-thirds of federallyfunded schools in the state have not been able to match.

“The goal changed between 10 and 11 percent, which is enormous growth,” Richardson said.

So enormous that 63 percent of schools that receive those funds couldn’t meet the demands. That number is projected to hit 80 percent next year.

Scores released by the California Department of Education on Wednesday showed that Will Rogers, and nine other schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, fell short of federal requirements under the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NLCB) passed by the Bush administration to increase accountability for schools that receive federal funding under a program called Title 1.

Only four schools in the district receive those funds and therefore are affected by those test results, including Edison Language Academy and Will Rogers, McKinley and John Muir elementary schools.

NCLB requires Title 1 schools and districts, and all the distinct ethnic and socioSEE SCHOOL PAGE 9

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BARE BONES: A Third Street home listed in the city's Historic Resources Inventory has been stripped to the studs, disappointing preservationists.

Destruction of house exposes flaws in city’s preservation policies

BY ASHLEY ARCHIBALD

The house, built in 1895, exemplified the “turn of the 20th century” style architecture and, while not necessarily deserving of landmark status on its own, represented the underpinning of an argument to expand the historic district that currently encompasses the homes south of Ocean Park Boulevard to include those to the north.

It was one of five in a row of homes built

Daily Press Staff Writer

OCEAN PARK A home of potential historic importance on the 2500 block of Third Street was stripped to the studs in what conservationists are calling a “huge disconnect” between the City Hall’s stated preservation goals and its practices.

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around the 1900s, according to the Historic Resources Inventory, a document of over 1,000 buildings in Santa Monica of varying degrees of historic significance.

“It would have been a contributor to the district,” said Landmarks Commissioner Nina Fresco.

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What’s Up

Westside OUT AND ABOUT IN SANTA MONICA

Saturday, Sept. 3, 2011

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner (Fri-Sat)

Come try our Chicken and Waffles, Pizza Waffles & Waffle Sliders ~ Illy gourmet coffee ~ for Open ay!

D | Tues Thurs: 8am to 5pm | Fri - Sat: 8am to 9pm | Sun: 8am to 5pm r Labo 2408 Wilshire Boulevard | 310-453-2787 24th & Wilshire – Free Parking in back

Now Open for Dinner! Friday & Saturday dinner hours 5–9pm

Chili roast Virginia Avenue Park 2200 Virginia Ave., 9 a.m.

Chilies will be grilling once more on an authentic New Mexican chili roaster this September at the Pico Farmers' Market at Virginia Avenue Park. They will be roasting until the supply runs out each Saturday. For more information, visit smgov.net/portals/ farmersmarket.

Acting for grownups YWCA Santa Monica/Westside 2019 14th St., 10:30 a.m.

This class will train you in the techniques necessary to start a commercial acting career, ages 18-98! The instructor has had students appear in nationwide commercials for Pepsi, Target, Mercedes Benz and more.

For more information, call (310) 452-3881.

Front page headlines Robert Berman Gallery 2525 Michigan Ave., 6 p.m. — 9 p.m.

Come and see the opening of “Bad News,” a solo show from Los Angeles artist Ellwood T. Risk. Risk has transformed pistol targets into art since 2002, but he has shifted his aim for this exhibition, where he turns a collection of past front pages from the Los Angeles Times and New York Times into a survey of global affairs. Show runs through Sept.

24. Cost: free. For more information, call (310) 315-1937 or visit www.robertbermangallery.com.

In the life Santa Monica Playhouse 1211 Fourth St., 8 p.m.

Stogie Kenyatta’s acclaimed show about artist/activist Paul Robeson is powerful and poignant, entertaining and educational, heartfelt and humorous. Robeson was witness to the artistic wonders of the Harlem Renaissance and the jazz and be bop era, the horrors of the slave trade, the shame of the Holocaust, McCarthyism, blacklists, racism and oppression.

Admission: $10 to $20. For more information, call (310) 394-9779 x1. This show runs Sunday at 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011 The mysteries of Egypt Third Street Promenade 10 a.m. — 10 p.m.

This Sunday and Monday, enjoy Pharaoh’s Festival, a celebration of Ancient Egypt between Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard. This free fundraising event for St. Peter and St. Paul Church will feature statuettes, jewelry, shirts, mugs and more for sale, as well as live entertainment and authentic Egyptian cuisine.

For more information, visit www.pharaohsfestival.com.

When Irish eyes are singing Finn McCool’s Irish Pub 2702 Main St., 5 p.m. — 8 p.m.

Guitarist and singer Marian Tomas Griffin provides entertainment at the Traditional Irish Music Night this Sunday. Marian, born in America but raised in County Mayo, Ireland, has performed as a solo artist and has worked with traditional Irish folk bands, as well as appearing on stage and screen. Cost: free.

For more information, c all (310) 452-1734 or visit www.finnmccoolsirishpub.com.

To create your own listing, log on to smdp.com/submitevent For help, contact Daniel Archuleta at 310-458-7737 or submit to editor@smdp.com For more information on any of the events listed, log on to smdp.com/communitylistings

Inside Scoop WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

Visit us online at smdp.com

COMMUNITY BRIEFS MID-CITY

UV photos reveal sun damage Do you really know how much sun you’re getting?

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ben Behnam is opening up his practice as a public service to provide free UV photos, which can uncover more sun damage than can be seen with the naked eye.

“I really hope that by holding these free sessions, I’m able to reach those who really need to hear this lifesaving message,” Behnam said.

Behnam will be on hand to offer free consultation concerning the UV photos, as well as answer any questions attendees might have about sun damage and skin health.

Samples of sunscreens that are designed to counteract sun damage will be given away.

The free sessions will be held every Friday in September after Labor Day between 9 a.m. and noon at Dermatology and Hair Restoration Specialists, 2825 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 301-A. For more information, call (310) 315-4989 or visit www.santamonicaskin.com.

DOWNTOWN

COLIN NEWTON

O’Neill sell shirts for charity O’Neill surf shop has partnered up with Heal the Bay to offer an exclusive T-shirt with proceeds going to the environmental watchdog based in Santa Monica.

The shirt features a surfer with the iconic O’Neill and Heal the Bay logos. Shirts are available in black and white.

Shirts are $19.50, and half the proceeds will go to Heal the Bay. Shirts will only be available for sale at O’Neill’s flagship store at 131 Broadway while supplies last.

For more information, call 657-859-3721.

DOWNTOWN

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SM senior competes in triathlon Seventy-year-old Santa Monica resident Peggy McDowell-Cramer will be competing in the International Triathlon Union World Championships in Beijing from Sept. 7 to Sept. 11.

The ITU World Championship Series brings the world’s athletes together to compete in a variety of contests.

All ITU World Championship games contain age group competitions that give amateurs the chance to race alongside professional athletes.

McDowell-Cramer will be competing because she won the female 70-74 age group national title on Aug. 20 at the 2011 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship.

McDowell-Cramer will compete in both the ITU Aquathlon and the ITU Age Group Olympic Distance Triathlon events at the ITU World Championship Series.

She won age group medals in both events last year in Budapest, Hungary, where she took the silver medal in the Olympic-distance Triathlon, and the bronze in the Aquathlon.

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High surf continues to pound California coast

BY ROBERT JABLON Associated Press

LOS ANGELES High surf will continue to pound California beaches into the Labor Day weekend, forecasters warned Friday, and crowds celebrating the last summer holiday were urged to watch out for dangerous rip currents.

The National Weather Service extended high surf advisories through Sunday night, warning that 6- to 8-foot waves, with occasional 10-foot sets, would hit the coast from San Francisco to San Diego.

Beachgoers were urged to swim only near lifeguard towers — or to stay on the sand.

“Have a good time watching the waves but stay out of the water if you’re not experienced,” National Weather Service forecaster Eric Boldt said.

The rough surf was caused by the swell from a powerful storm in New Zealand, where it is winter.

“It had 50-foot waves down there when it was going at its peak. The energy came up here,” Boldt said.

On Thursday, the powerful surf probably forced a smuggling boat to crash on a Southern California beach where more than 500 pounds of marijuana washed ashore, authorities said.

State park rangers found the abandoned boat split in half on rocks near Point Mugu, Calif., northwest of Malibu, Calif., said Lindsey Templeton, a superintendent for the park system said.

Waves reaching 6 feet to 9 feet and “probably a lot of misjudgment by the cartel operating the boat” led to the crash, Templeton said.

“Obviously they didn’t check the

YOU NEVER KNOW

Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com Rocker Jackson Browne made a surprise guest appearance alongside Los Angeles-based Dawes during the 27th Annual Twilight Dance Series on the Santa Monica Pier Thursday night.

surf, or they risked it anyway,” he said.

Lifeguards rescued two dozen people on Thursday on Los Angeles County beaches from Marina del Rey, Calif., north to Topanga, Calif., said Capt.

Angus Alexander. High surf prompted officials to move several lifeguard towers farther inshore, he said.

However, there were fewer people actually in the water, Alexander said.

“A lot of people can’t get out when it’s big surf. It intimidates them, the water pushes them back to the shore,” he

said.

Waves reached shoulder to head height on Friday morning, but the biggest concern was not atop the surf but below it.

The heavy surf chewed up the sandy bottom, creating potholes that can dunk unwary swimmers and contributing to dangerous rip currents.

“It will not look as intimidating in the weekend but ... the ocean floor will not be flat,” warned Huntington Beach SEE WAVES PAGE 10

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Opinion Commentary 4

WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

We have you covered

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

On the Beat

Send comments to editor@smdp.com

NRO Richard Carranza

Milk does a species good Editor:

In Letters to the Editor, Mr. Ralph Meyer (“Drinking milk is cruel,” Sept. 1, page 4) addresses the human consumption of cow milk. He bemoans, “Overlooked … is the fact that humans are the only species to drink the milk of another animal.”

What Mr. Meyer overlooks is that the only species to consume milk of another is also the only species to have left the orbit of this planet and travel to the moon, to extend the natural lives of its species, to travel faster than the speed of sound, and to harness the power of the atom.

While l do not wish to call out other members of the animal kingdom, perhaps they would do well to consume the milk of another species.

Ben Dowell Santa Monica

Protect unions Editor:

Mark Mix’s column (“It’s Labor Day, not union day,” Your Column Here, Sept. 1) reeks of disingenuousness.

Mix purports to defend rank-and-file employees, but what Mix and his “right-to-work” henchmen really want is to destroy organized labor.

In an era when the gap between the earnings of corporate executives and workers is wider than ever by far, can we blame unions rather than corporate leaders for economic woes? If we destroy labor unions, are you comfortable with corporations having virtually unopposed financial access to politicians? Did the unions order the CEO’s of American car companies to produce gas guzzlers that nobody wanted? Lehman Brothers, Countrywide and other Wall Street dinosaurs had no unions — how well did they serve American economic interests? Mix even has the audacity to mention union violence, conveniently forgetting that big business and their political and police allies gunned down striking workers by the dozens in the last century.

Finally, getting rid of unions would inevitably cause wages and benefits to fall. And if workers can’t afford to buy the products they produce, then who will? I’ve never belonged to a union, and I don’t think union leaders are any more immune to the corrupting influence of power than anyone else. But I shudder to think of a society in which people like Mark Mix call the shots.

Paul Bergman Santa Monica

First things first Editor:

The repeated argument to retain [the Santa Monica Airport] as is because it was there first is plain ridiculous! Back in 1917 when the airport was first used, there were two small biplanes with engines as big as a lawnmower. Jets were only in science fiction stories. Now there are as many jets as planes. If a modern jet full of fuel crashes today it could cause a major disaster with great loss of life and property.

Also, there is an enormous amount of toxic pollution spewing over our town. The constant noise, especially from jets, unnerves the locals and nearby schools. In a few years rocket ships may become popular and will the airport nuts keep yelling the same baloney that the airport was there first? Maybe we should turn it back to the way it was and only allow tiny bi-planes then? There were trees and fields with wild animals and Indians before the airport. Maybe we should give it back to the deer and Indians since they were there first?

Marty Sampson Santa Monica

PUBLISHER Ross Furukawa

Send comments to editor@smdp.com

Back-to-school safety tips Q: AS SUMMER DRAWS TO A CLOSE,

back-to-school season is in full effect. I feel safety should be a priority for every family as children return to classrooms this fall. It is important for us, as parents, to stay up to date on the proper safety precautions and share this information with our children to keep them safe throughout the school year.

Will you provide some safety tips?

A: Whether children walk, ride their bicycle or take the bus to school, it is extremely important that they take proper safety precautions. Here are some tips to share with your children to ensure their safety when traveling to school: • Walk to school with a group of kids and always have a responsible adult with you; • Always walk on the sidewalk if one is available; • The safest place to cross is at a street corner or intersection; • If you are 10 years old or younger, you need to cross the street with an adult. You should not cross by yourself; • Before you step off the curb to cross the street, stop and look all ways to see if cars are coming; • When no cars are coming, it is safe for you and an adult to cross. But look left-rightleft as you do it, and hold the adult’s hand; • Walk, don’t run, especially from in between parked cars. This gives time for drivers to see you before you enter the roadway. Running also makes you more likely to fall in the street; • Always wear your helmet when riding your bicycle; • Riding at night can be dangerous. If you have to ride your bicycle at night, you should ride with an adult. By law, you must have a white light on the front of your bicycle and a red reflector on the back; • When boarding, or disembarking a bus, be sure the bus driver can see you and you can see the bus driver; • Never walk behind the bus; • When on the bus, find a seat and sit down. Loud talking or other noise can distract the bus driver and is not allowed; • Never put head, arms or hands out of the window.

Another thing, be aware of school bullying. Many kids are affected by this, and it can have serious consequences. Bullying among children has been happening for many years, but only recently has it been brought to the forefront of our society’s consciousness.

Tragedies in schools across the country have led to increased public awareness and scientific research into the psychological damage caused by bullying.

Bully victimization has been found to be related to lower self-esteem, higher rates of depression, loneliness and anxiety. Victims have higher school absenteeism rates, report experiencing poorer general health and are more likely to have suicidal thoughts than their non-bullied peers. Bullying also can have long-term psychological effects.

Here are some warning signs: • Dislikes or has lost interest in school work; • Have few, if any, friends. Appears sad, anxious or moody when talking about school; • Complains of headaches, stomach aches; • Has unexplained cuts, bruises and/or

scratches; • Appears afraid of going back to school; • Returns from school with torn, damaged or missing articles of clothing, books or belongings; • Has trouble sleeping and/or has frequent nightmares.

If you see any of these warning signs, immediately ask the child if he/she is becoming the victim of bullying at school. You should also schedule a meeting with one of the school counselors as quickly as possible.

If you have any further questions or concerns, contact one of our Santa Monica Police Department’s school resource officers: • Officer Carlos Jaen Carlos.Jaen@smgov.net (310) 863-8407 • Officer Erika Aklufi Erika.Aklufi@smgov.net (310) 458-8943 Q: My child takes the bus to school. How safe is it to ride the bus to school?

ross@smdp.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF Kevin Herrera editor@smdp.com

MANAGING EDITOR Daniel Archuleta daniela@smdp.com

STAFF WRITER Ashley Archibald ashley@smdp.com

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Morgan Genser news@smdp.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bill Bauer, David Pisarra, Meredith Carroll, Jack Neworth, Lloyd Garver, Ron Hooks, Taylor Van Arsdale, Merv Hecht, Cynthia Citron, Tom Viscount, Michael Ryan, JoAnne Barge, Katrina Davy

NEWS INTERNS Colin Newton, Rebecca Asoulin news@smdp.com

PHOTOGRAPHY INTERN

A: School buses are one of the safest forms of transportation on the road today. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, riding a bus to school is 13 times safer than riding in a passenger vehicle, and 10 times safer than walking to school. The reality of school bus safety is that more children are hurt outside the bus than inside as passengers. Most of the children who lose their lives in bus-related crashes are pedestrians, 4 to 7 years old, who are hit by the bus or by motorists illegally passing a stopped school bus. For this reason, it is necessary to know the proper laws and procedures for sharing the road safely with school buses. You can contact your child’s school administrators to receive a copy of their pickup/drop-off plan if available.

All 50 states have a law making it illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children. School buses use yellow flashing lights to alert motorists that they are prepared to stop to load or unload children.

Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign arm signal to motorists that the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off the bus All 50 states require that traffic in both directions stop on undivided roadways when students are entering or exiting a school bus. While state laws vary on what is required on a divided roadway, in all cases, traffic behind the school bus (traveling in the same direction) must stop.

The area 10 feet around a school bus is where children are in the most danger of being hit. Stop your car far enough from the bus to allow children the necessary space to safely enter and exit the bus. Be alert.

Children are unpredictable. Children walking to or from their bus are usually very comfortable with their surroundings. This makes them more likely to take risks, ignore hazards or fail to look both ways when crossing the street.

Never pass a school bus on the right. It is illegal and could have tragic consequences.

This column was prepared by Neighborhood Resource Officer RICHARD CARRANZA (Beat 1: coastal, beach and Santa Monica Pier areas). He can be reached at (424) 200-0681 or richard.carranza@smgov.net.

Ray Solano news@smdp.com

VICE PRESIDENT–BUSINESS OPERATIONS Rob Schwenker schwenker@smdp.com

SENIOR ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Brittney Seeliger brittneys@smdp.com

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Steven Stuart stevens@smdp.com

ADVERTISING TRAFFIC COORDINATOR Rebecca Martinez admin@smdp.com

OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Michele Emch michele.e@smdp.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER Darren Ouellette production@smdp.com

PRODUCTION DESIGNER Alejandro Cantarero production@smdp.com

CIRCULATION Keith Wyatt Osvaldo Paganini circulation@smdp.com

We have you covered 1640 5th Street, Suite 218 Santa Monica, CA 90401 OFFICE (310) 458-PRESS (7737) FAX (310) 576-9913

The Santa Monica Daily Press is published six days a week, Monday through Saturday.

19,000 daily circulation, 46,450 daily readership. Circulation is audited and verified by Circulation Verification Council, 2011. Serving the City of Santa Monica, and the communities of Venice Beach, Brentwood, West LA. Members of CNPA, AFCP, CVC, Associated Press, IFPA, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce.

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OPINIONS EXPRESSED are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Santa Monica Daily Press staff. Guest editorials from residents are encouraged, as are letters to the editor. Letters will be published on a space-available basis. It is our intention to publish all letters we receive, except those that are libelous or are unsigned. Preference will be given to those that are e-mailed to editor@smdp.com. All letters must include the author’s name and telephone number for purposes of verification. All letters and guest editorials are subject to editing for space and content.

OpinionCommentary Visit us online at smdp.com

WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

5

PREPARING FOR THE BAG BAN The city’s ban on single-use plastic bags, which find their way into oceans and streams, goes into effect Sept. 1. People who do not bring reusable bags to grocery stores and other markets will have to pay 10 cents for a paper bag.

This past week, Q-line asked: Are you prepared for the bag ban? If so, where did you get your bags and how much did you pay for them? If not, why not?

Here are your responses:

“BAN THE BAGS? JUST ANOTHER REASON to shop outside of Santa Monica, along with lack of parking, traffic, and smelly, drunken bums begging for money.”

“I HEARD THAT THE STORES MUST BUY bags from only city-approved vendors? This sounds like there are illegal kickbacks going to our crooked city. There is something rotten here in Santa Monica and someone is running off with bags of money!”

“IT IS HARD TO PREPARE FOR THE STUPIDITY of our City Council, which is living in a dream world. It is highly unlikely that banning plastic bags will have any beneficial effect on the environment, and will only inconvenience most of us. We have saved enough plastic “one-time use” plastic bags to dispose of our garbage, and enough paper bags to take to the market. However, we will be doing most of our shopping out of Santa Monica, where so far, reason has prevailed and plastic bags are still available.”

“THOSE COMMIES FROM SANTA MONICANS for Renters’ Rights that have run and ruined our once sweet town for 31 years are at it again, trying to control every facet of our lives and take away more of our freedoms. Now these bags are outlawing bags. Poor people use grocery bags for everything from trash bags and doggy poop bags to wrapping food and lunch bags. Only a tiny few inconsiderate people throw bags in streets or the ocean, yet we all must suffer from these laws. And who is going to keep that 10-cents-a-bag money?

Are our crooked council getting their paws on it? Maybe the money should only be given to our schools who are crying all the time for more and more? Or give the money to poor people to buy garbage bags and doggy bags that they now have to buy? We really just need to bag our council and mail them back to commie Cuba.”

“I’VE BEEN COLLECTING (AND USING) reusable bags for grocery shopping for a few years already. Mine are mostly tote bags from vacation destinations, conventions, etc., which has actually made the process fun for me. I’m pleased that Santa Monica has taken this significant step toward more responsible use of global resources, though I also appreciate that it may take awhile for some people to tolerate this imposition of change on their rou-

“I DON’T SHOP IN SANTA MONICA. VENICE, Los Angeles and Culver City have plenty of grocery stores that will pack my groceries in free bags if I forget my own. Those cities also have department stores that do not charge an additional half-percent sales tax.”

“WHAT IS THAT GOD AWFUL SMELL? IS someone from the many nonprofits in this town, who pay a lot less in taxes than the rest of us, burning a plastic bag at City Hall in solidarity of further social engineering? Hurray for another stupid socialist idea: sustainability, from those intellectuals that brought you bicycle lanes, cigarette butt pickup, chocolate milk bans, low-income housing. Yes, the gigantic questions of our time. No, I didn’t buy a bag and did not accept one. I will try to shop somewhere else in a yet small protest against the encroaching socialist agenda of our feeble City Council.”

“YES, I HAVE BOUGHT BAGS. BUT I DISAGREE for charging for paper bags. Some people have to walk a long way home and the paper bags break. What about all the disposable diapers? People are leaving them everywhere. I had three kids and I used cloth diapers and I washed them. What are they going to take away next? It’s all about greed and money. That’s what I believe and I stick to it.”

“THIS STUPID CITY IS PUNISHING EVERYONE for the actions of a few. The majority of plastic bag users are responsible and they use these bags to collect and contain household kitchen waste. Now we will have to purchase bags, causing an unnecessary expense. Health concerns raised by reusable bags are serious ones. People are lazy and will not wash reusable bags often enough. They will set them down on dirty floors, sidewalks, buses, car seats and then put them on conveyor belt in the store checkout lane. The inside of the bags will be a science experiment of bacteria growth. I will not shop in Santa Monica, and will go to stores that still have plastic bags.

I also think it is outrageous paper bags, that stores want to be free, will now be 10 cents each.”

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“I AM PREPARED FOR THE BAN. AS classic paper bags are widely available, there was no need to acquire the petroleum based reusable bags. Also, as food-borne illness spreads though unwashed reusable bags, I suspect the same geniuses who originally insisted the plastic bags were greener than paper will revisit the issue.”

tine. I certainly grumble when changes are made that I don’t necessarily agree with.”

CLOVERFIELD

“THIS IDIOCY WILL TAKE OUR BUSINESS outside of this city where sanity still exists.

Why do we allow those illegitimate clowns on the council pollute our lives? What next?

They need a brain circumcision.”

X

DELAWARE AVE. 10 WEST

Food 6

WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

We have you covered

Tour De Feast Michael Ryan

Send comments to editor@smdp.com

No longer just a watering hole SONNY MCLEAN’S SERVES FOOD? THAT

was my initial reaction as I bellied up to the bar for a cold one. The barkeep enthusiastically showed me a menu and pointed to a bunch of cooking trophies behind the bar won by their head chef. A new menu, bigger selection of beers, and a burger claiming to be the best on the Westside are compelling enough reasons to see what this new look Sonny’s has to offer.

Originally McGinty’s, then Red Setter, and as of not so recent, Sonny McLean’s, this establishment has always been an Irish pub at heart. Recently purchased by New Zealander and restaurateur Grant Woods, the main goal was to improve upon what needed to be improved, as well as preserve what makes Sonny’s Sonny’s. Revamping the menu and beer selection were necessary changes but the traditional Irish pub food needed to stay. Executive Chef Joseph Feldmann had other plans bringing in his own inspired menu. The final compromise, a bigger menu with both schools of thought.

This did not mean adding to the existing menu but rather an entire overhaul.

Subsequently, Chef Joe had to start from scratch, literally and figuratively. This means almost everything is made in-house, and not plucked out of the freezer and thrown into

Tuscan bread and tomato salad If you’d rather, the four large tomatoes can be replaced with about 32 cherry tomatoes.

Start to finish: 20 minutes Servings: 4 Three 1/2-inch-thick slices crusty bread, cut into 1/2inch cubes (about 3 cups) 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 4 medium tomatoes (peeled, if desired) 1 medium red or green bell pepper, roasted, peeled, then cut into strips 20 fresh basil leaves 12 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained

the deep fryer.

“Before I got here everything was deep fried. Everything was frozen. Nothing was fresh,” said Chef Joe Originally brought on as a food consultant, Chef Joe took the title as executive chef and has been trying to get the word out that Sonny’s is more than jalapeño popper’s and mozzarella sticks. Freeing up freezer space by reducing Sonny’s frozen items to peas, French fries, and gelato was his first step to taking a fresher approach in Sonny McLean’s kitchen.

“It’s all about freshness and people think it’s cheaper to go the other way, but it is just as cheap to go fresh,” the chef said.

Chef Joe practices what he preaches by making frequent stops at the Downtown Farmers’ Market. With a blend of Mediterranean influences, traditional Irish pub food, as well as your jalapeño poppers and mozzarella sticks (which are both house-made) the menu has made a dramatic turnaround. With a larger selection of beers and wines, Sonny’s has taken things to a new level.

Watering hole turned gastropub, Sonny’s has the ammo to rival some of the best bar food in the area. The Chef ’s Burger with caramelized onions, honey bacon, chipotle aioli, tomato confit, gruyere, a bed of baby

5 tablespoons pitted and coarsely chopped brinecured imported black olives 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar Salt and ground black pepper

Photo by Michael Ryan

NEW: Sonny McLean's has a new chef pumping out fresh food thanks to frequent trips to the Farmers' Market. The Chef’s Burger with caramelized onions, honey bacon, chipotle aioli, tomato confit, gruyere, a bed of baby arugula, on a brioche roll is a prime example of the menu’s makeover.

arugula, on a brioche roll is a prime example of the menu’s makeover. While it is tough to anoint any one burger as the best in town, Chef Joe’s creation is on point with any of the other high end burger places in the area.

Sonny McLean’s has achieved a good balance of high class food without a hint of pretentiousness. It is still a neighborhood place to have a pint and watch a game. They just have some seriously good grub, if you’re into that kind of thing. When asked if infamous Boston gangster and recent Santa Monica resident “Whitey” Bulger used to drink at Sonny’s, Chef Joe could not confirm nor deny

If You Go Sonny McLean's Irish Pub 2615 Wilshire Blvd.

Santa Monica, Calif.

90403 (310) 449-1811 MICHAEL can be seen riding around town on his bike. To reach him visit his Twitter at twitter.com/greaseweek or his website at tourdefeast.net

Get green, then build your salad

BY J.M. HIRSCH AP Food Editor

In a large skillet over medium heat, toss the bread cubes with 3 tablespoons of the oil. Sauté until the cubes brown slightly, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and gently squeeze out the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into 1/2-inch chunks and put in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes, the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, the bell pepper, basil, anchovies, olives and vinegar. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, then serve immediately.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 490 calories; 230 calories from fat (47 percent of total calories); 25 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 10 mg cholesterol; 52 g carbohydrate; 13 g protein; 4 g fiber; 1,010 mg sodium.

such claims. And we will just leave it at that.

The basic building block for a great salad?

Greens, of course.

But for James Peterson, what that means varies greatly by season.

“I usually start out with a standard combination of greens, one for winter, one for summer,” said Peterson, whose cookbooks have won numerous James Beard awards. “In the winter, I use a combination of bitter

greens, including frisee, treviso or radicchio di Cremona (the bulb kind we usually see), and endive, and a spicy mixture of equal parts basil leaves and rucula (baby radicchio) in the summer.”

From there, it’s all a matter of taste and inspiration.

“I then build on these mixtures, adding savory ingredients, eggs, tomatoes, avocados, green beans, anchovies or whatever suits my fancy,” Peterson said in an e-mail interview.

“Basic salads can easily be converted into main courses by adding such things as sliced grilled steak or duck, chicken, slices of raw grilled tuna.”

For AP’s 20 Salads of Summer series, Peterson offered his version on the classic Italian bread and tomato salad from his just released cookbook, “Kitchen Simple.”

“When I developed the panzanella salad consisting primarily of bread and tomatoes, I wanted the bread to retain its crunch and not get soggy, but at the same time I wanted it to absorb the juices from the tomatoes,” he said. “To accomplish this, I sauté the bread cubes in olive oil, which sort of seals them from moisture and keeps them crisp.

“The other element is, of course, the tomatoes, which must be super ripe. It’s also important to seed the tomatoes so their juices don’t overly dilute the salad sauce, a step omitted by many even experienced cooks. The salad should not only be a study in flavors, but also one of textures.”

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JUICY: The marinated steak at The Daily Grill could just be better than their burger.

The burger battle rages on WHENEVER I WRITE AN ARTICLE CLAIMING

one thing is the best, I get a number of emails suggesting I try another place. So after my hamburger article I received about six emails from PR people suggesting I try their client’s hamburger, and one of those was an invitation to the Daily Grill.

That invitation included a lot of information about how they make their hamburger, so I accepted, and selected the one on Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, as it is the closest to home. Naturally I went with my friend Harvey, an expert on hamburgers, if the number eaten over the years means anything.

I went incognito, and Harvey and I each ordered a different burger. I ordered a plain medium rare burger and Harvey ordered a mountain of hamburger, cheese, bacon and peppers. And what would a burger be without a draft beer … or two?

So how was it? I gave it a B-plus. My burger was a bit more cooked than medium rare. Harvey liked his burger but said the bacon was underdone and the meat a bit dry.

But there is no denying it’s a first-class burger.

And that’s one of the problems: if you use really top quality meat in a hamburger, it comes out a bit dense and dry. To get an A burger, you have to use meat with enough fat content so that some of the fat is left in the burger after most of it is cooked out.

Another difficult part in cooking hamburgers is the temperature of the grill; if it’s not hot enough you can’t get that crisp outside and rare inside.

If You Go Daily Grill 2501 Colorado Ave. Santa Monica, Calif., 90404 (310) 309-2170

But that’s not the best part of the story.

Yes, the burger was good, but the restaurant itself is a really nice place. Under the management of Jensen Kumamoto, the service is crisp and timely. The menu has everyone’s favorites. There is a pleasant bar, and the booths are comfortable. I’ve had a delicious salmon plate there, and the sourdough bread is among the best in town.

The peach cobbler for dessert was enough for four people, so I just ate half of it. Paired with a well-made espresso, I was a happy diner. We were there at lunch this time, and there was a pretty good crowd, even at the bar. I’ve been there for dinner a few times, and there is much less of a crowd, so it’s a really quiet, pleasant place.

I highly recommend this Daily Grill, especially for dinner. But between you and me, the marinated steak is better than the hamburger.

Free parking underneath with validation — now that’s a plus!

MERV HECHT, the food and wine critic for the Santa Monica Daily Press, is a wine buyer and consultant to a number of national and international food and wine companies. He can be reached at mervynhecht@yahoo.com

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MARKET FROM PAGE 1 million worth of transactions will be made during the market’s run.

John Thacker, regional vice president of operations for Loews Hotels, said negotiations are ongoing to keep AFM in Santa Monica. He confirmed the hotel did ask for more money from AFM to help cover increased labor costs associated with transforming the hotel into hundreds of mini board rooms where independent filmmakers meet with producers and distributors in hopes of selling their movies. That means removing all the beds and some furniture from the 342 rooms, and, once the market is over, putting that all back while making some minor repairs.

“We are … ask[ing] for a little bit more,” said Thacker, who added that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if AFM executives were looking at other venues. Thacker would not disclose the rate Loews is asking for.

AFM, a nonprofit trade organization representing independent film companies from 22 countries, is not only a chance for filmmakers to strike it rich, it is also an opportunity for local businesses to get an influx of cash during the fall when things tend to slow down until the holiday shopping season arrives. Theaters are packed daily as are many hotels, restaurants and retail stores.

In 2007, the market was expected to generate between $15 million and $17 million in total spending.

As it has grown over the years, some events have been farmed out to other hotels and restaurants in the area. In recent years, that has included the Le Merigot Beach Hotel, which is next door to the Loews.

Many of the conference events have been held at the nearby Fairmont Miramar Hotel, while several local movie theaters are booked for private screenings.

L.A. Live, which is adjacent to the Los Angeles Convention Center, has more than 5.6 million square feet of ballrooms, bars, restaurants, concert theaters, a condo tower and two large hotels in one tower.

“The Santa Monica Chamber [of Commerce] recognizes the great financial impact the market has on our businesses, especially at a time of year when business could use the support,” said Laurel Rosen, president and CEO of the chamber. “There seems to be a wonderful synergy between the American Film Market and the city of Santa Monica that I hope has the possibility of

continuing for years to come.”

Kathleen Rawson, CEO of Downtown Santa Monica Inc., a public-private management company that oversees Downtown on behalf of City Hall, said AFM is a “great piece of business for Santa Monica.”

“I think the city needs to do what it can to help keep that piece of business,” Rawson said.

Not only is the money good, but so is the reliability. AFM is something businesses can count on each fall. It can be extremely difficult to secure something as large and lucrative as AFM, said Misti Kerns, president and CEO of the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“It would be really hard to replace that type of business,” said Kerns, who has been working with AFM for more than 20 years and believes this is the closest it has come to leaving Santa Monica.

While there is concern, Kerns said, Loews is in a good position to ask for higher rates given that demand for hotel rooms in Santa Monica is high, driving up prices.

In July, room rates were on average $327.68 a night, up 12 percent from the same period last year. Occupancy was at a remarkable 91.32 percent, up 4.2 percent from last year, Kerns said.

Room rates in Downtown L.A. were clocked at $143 and occupancy was 81 percent, up from 10 percent the year before, Kerns said.

“It’s all about supply and demand,” Kerns said. “Twenty-one years ago when AFM came to Santa Monica, we weren’t the destination we are today. AFM was able to get what I think was a good deal then. I think Loews has gone back and offered a fair deal, but from [AFM’s] perspective it was an increase they weren’t prepared for but one that the market is providing for us and we’re getting it.”

Kerns said AFM has helped the city by the sea raise its profile internationally and believes many attendees will want to remain in Santa Monica because of its proximity to the beach and its many amenities.

The Hollywood Reporter said there is pressure from foreign participants to remain in Santa Monica because they like the Westside are mostly unfamiliar with the urban areas of L.A. Thacker expects to find out what AFM will do later this month.

“We don’t want to lose this business,” Thacker said, “but we have to make sure it makes sense financially for us to do it.” kevinh@smdp.com

Local WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

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SCHOOL FROM PAGE 1 economic populations within the schools, to meet everclimbing expectations. The ultimate goal is for all students to reach proficiency by 2014, regardless of background.

That includes students whose first language is not English, and students with learning disabilities.

Each state gets to define “proficiency.” That flexibility has a strong impact on how many schools and districts met those proficiency requirements, according to a study conducted by the Rand Corp. in 2007.

California sets one of the highest bars in the country, said Dr. Jose Escarce, chair of the district’s Board of Education.

“Other states have defined away the problem,” Escarce said.

While none of the four Title 1 schools passed muster, this was the second time that Will Rogers didn’t make its Annual Yearly Progress, or AYP, which sent it into a status called “progress improvement.” That status requires the school to inform parents of the change and pay for transportation to a non-PI school in the district if parents decide to enroll their kids at another campus.

Will Rogers joined 3,892 of California’s 6,157 Title 1 schools in that category, and will now be setting aside 5 percent to 10 percent of the federal money it receives for transportation costs.

The district already uses Title 1 money for teacher development and training, and parents have always had the ability to move their child into a different school within the district through the open enrollment policy, said Superintendent Sandra Lyon.

Whether parents will want to move their children from Will Rogers, and put scarce Title 1 dollars on the line in the

HOME FROM PAGE 1 Instead, what stands there now is the home’s skeleton.

Nearly all the walls have been taken down, and only the major structural beams remain. Even the floors are gone.

That left neighbors scratching their heads wondering what, exactly, had gone wrong.

Fresco and the six other members of the Landmarks Commission did get a chance to meet the architect in charge of the house, Gregory Ginter, when a permit for the demolition of a back garage came before them in March.

Mike Salazar, who lives near the home in question, was also there with other neighbors rallying for the preservation of another home on the block that was set for demolition.

“We had heard there was a room of the house that was going to be removed, but that it wasn’t original to the house, so no one was concerned about that,” Salazar said.

The remainder of the house didn’t come up in conversation, nor was it game for discussion.

“The system fell flat on its face,” Fresco summarized.

The issue hinges on one key phrase: Substantial remodel.

If removing the exterior of a home and lowering an entire floor sounds substantial, think again.

Under the Planning Department’s code, a substantial remodel doesn’t include the walls or interior walls, said Scott Albright, a senior planner with City Hall who is also assigned to the Landmarks Commission.

The idea is that if a homeowner is switching around major structural components of the house, they must get a permit which allows building inspectors to make sure that the house is up to code.

The necessary permit for demolition would require a hearing before the Landmarks Commission, which would then get to weigh in on the fate of the rest of the house.

As it was, the requested permit to alter the main house did not count as substantial remodel, and therefore didn’t require a demolition permit.

It would be different if the home had been landmarked, like some of the other homes in the area.

“If this was a landmarked house, it would have to go through a certificate of appropriateness for design changes.

The commission would be able to review the proposal,

process, is the question at hand.

Maria Franco wasn’t sure. This is the first time she’s put a child through school, and she’s new to the process.

When she first learned of the school’s PI status on the second day of classes, she felt hoodwinked by the district, as though it had been withholding the information from her.

“There were so many other parents here at Kindergarten Roundup, and I don’t see those parents,” she said. “Then I heard about the scores and put two and two together.”

But here’s the catch. Under the No Child Left Behind act, or NCLB, schools are judged based on certain criteria that they fill. A school like Roosevelt Elementary, also in the district, must only fulfill nine of those criteria.

Fail in even one category and you fail overall, which assigns the school a scarlet letter.

Will Rogers, on the other hand, must meet all 25 criteria, in part because of the diversity that attracts parents like John Sencio.

“It may sound cliché, but the diversity is strength,” Sencio said.

And diversity it has.

Will Rogers has significant populations of AfricanAmerican and Latino students, as well as socio-economically disadvantaged students, those still learning English and students with disabilities.

Despite the challenges of demographics, Will Rogers has exceeded California state standards since 2008, after missing by just one point in 2007.

The accountability index that California adopted is called the Academic Performance Index, or API. It’s a flexible standard that assigns points to districts based on the number of students that achieve higher levels of performance.

Therefore a student that was not proficient one year, but jumped to proficient earns a district more points than one who began proficient and jumped to the advanced level.

9

“It’s not about how many have reached proficient, but about moving kids from low performing bands to proficiency,” Richardson said.

To that end, the staff and teachers at Will Rogers focus their time and energy on doing intensive literacy training with students, pairing them with kids of a similar reading level and then assigning more teachers to the struggling groups than the ones already excelling.

They use a program called STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and math, to teach difficult concepts through projects, and get kids excited about the subject.

Finally, Will Rogers has a curriculum that includes emotion-based learning, which helps young kids learn the social underpinnings of being in a classroom or group environment.

The school will continue with those programs, and will not embrace a teach-to-the-test model to pander for federal money, Richardson said.

The evening’s frank conversation helped put many parents’ minds at ease.

“My main concern is that my son needs to keep climbing up,” Franco said. “After hearing what Steve said, they take the approach that moves you around to make you excel.”

Administrators assured parents that the district will stand behind Will Rogers, and give it all the institutional support it needs to overcome the challenges put before it by the federal government.

“If you liked this school yesterday, it’s still the same school,” Escarce said. “It’s just a label.”

There will be two more meetings for parents who want to see the numbers themselves. Those will be held on Sept. 14 and 21. ashley@smdp.com

which would have to meet the Secretary of the Interior standards for historic buildings, which say you have to respect the character and defining features of a building,” Albright said.

In a November 2003 Planning Commission meeting, staff reported on the definition of “substantial remodel,” and acknowledged that “the strict application of the substantial remodel definition can, at times, run counter to the city’s overall goal to retain historically significant structures.”

Moves to change the definition to make it more responsive to historic preservation have been unsuccessful, despite references in other city documents, including the 2010 Land Use and Circulation Element, or LUCE, to the need for other tools to preserve historic resources, Fresco said.

In the chapter on historic preservation, the LUCE spells out actions to maintain Santa Monica’s architectural heritage, including the development of procedures so that alterations to properties listed on the Historic Resources Inventory get reviewed using the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for historic properties as a benchmark.

So when people like Salazar ask what can be done to prevent wanton destruction of homes like those on the 2500 block of Third Street, Fresco has no real answer.

“Much of it has been talked about already, and putting it into the LUCE was meant to codify what we’ve been trying to get the Planning and Building and Safety departments to do all along,” Fresco said. “They’re obligated to think that way.”

So far, it hasn’t seemed to work out.

Ginter, the architect working on the “insubstantial” remodel, said that he walked the neighborhood with his client and chose characteristics from the rest of the homes to incorporate in the new design.

When he’s done, the house will fit right in with the remainder of the neighborhood, Ginter said.

Community members still associate the skeletal structure with a huge loss to the neighborhood that can still never be returned to what it once was, and will be, at best, a replica house.

“It’s not equal to a loss of life, but for this neighborhood, it’s a pretty hard thing to take,” Salazar said. ashley@smdp.com

YOUR OPINION MATTERS! SEND YOUR LETTERS TO • Santa Monica Daily Press • Attn. Editor: • 1640 5th Street, Suite 218 • Santa Monica, CA 90401 • editor@smdp.com

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SWEATIN' TO THE OLDIES

Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com Kicking and extending, seniors on Friday improve their health in the weekly low-impact exercise program lead by Joy Williams (far right) at the Senior Center at Palisades Park. Open to people aged 50 and over, the free class gives seniors a chance to exercise all parts of the body from head to toe.

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lifeguard Lt. Mike Baumgartner.

“People who will be in waist-deep water one moment may be in a hole where they can’t stand up the next minute,” he said. “It actually becomes more active for the lifeguard because people underestimate the conditions of the ocean.”

The holes and heavy swell also create dangerous seawardflowing rip currents.

“That probably kills more people in Southern California than any other phenomenon,” said Boldt, of the weather service.

Swimmers can quickly become exhausted and drown if they fight the current instead of swimming parallel to the shore until they are out of it.

A body-boarder who vanished Wednesday evening at a beach near Huntington Beach might have been caught in a rip current. The search for Jowayne Binford, 24, of Long Beach, Calif., was suspended on Thursday.

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Bill would boost construction of NFL stadium in LA

BY JULIET WILLIAMS Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. Two Los Angeles-area lawmakers announced a proposal Friday that could fast-track construction of a possible NFL stadium in downtown Los Angeles as the city seeks to lure back a football franchise.

If approved, the legislation by Assembly Speaker John Perez and state Sen. Alex Padilla would accelerate the environmental appeals process so Anschutz Entertainment Group could build its proposed $1.2 billion stadium near Staples Center more quickly.

The legislation, SB292, would send legal challenges straight to an appeals court, shortening the amount of time it would take for them to be resolved, the Democratic lawmakers said at a briefing Friday.

They stressed that the stadium’s builders would not be exempt from any of the state’s rigorous environmental protections, but instead were promising to build the country’s first LEED-certified stadium, where the cars-to-fans ratio would be lower than anywhere in the United States.

It also sets up a process for community members to raise concerns far earlier in the construction process than in the past, they said.

“It doesn’t side-step any approvals, it just expedites the judicial review process,” Perez said. In exchange, he said, AEG is offering to do environmental mitigation in the area surrounding the stadium and make all games “carbon-neutral.”

“Everybody gets greater certainty in

terms of the outcome,” he said.

The proposal comes just a week before the end of California’s legislative session, meaning it would need to be fast-tracked through both houses of the Legislature for approval.

The Natural Resources Defense Council said AEG is demanding a special legal process in exchange for promises to address traffic congestion and air pollution that could not be enforced for a decade.

“This weak, last-minute, back-room deal is a missed opportunity for Los Angeles and a dangerous precedent for California,” said David Pettit, senior attorney with environmental group. “It can and should be fixed.”

AEG president and chief executive Tim Leiweke has said the company needs to be protected from lawsuits alleging violations of state environmental laws to move forward with its plans for the 72,000-seat venue, which would be built on the site of the current convention center.

Leiweke has said that he fears stadium construction would be stalled by what he described as frivolous lawsuits and targeted legal challenges by Majestic Realty Co., the firm behind a rival stadium proposal in the east Los Angeles County City of Industry.

John Semcken, the Majestic vice president who has been overseeing work on its stadium plan, did not immediately return a call seeking comment about the legislation.

State lawmakers passed a bill in 2009 that suspended environmental laws to allow the City of Industry stadium to be

built. The legislation nullified a lawsuit filed by residents in the nearby city of Walnut over the project’s environmental impact. Months later, AEG began discussing its own stadium plan.

But Majestic has charged that AEG is putting Los Angeles taxpayers at risk with its proposal, which calls on the city to issue tax-exempt bonds to finance the relocation of a convention center building to make space for the stadium. The bonds would be paid off with new revenue from the stadium and a renovated convention center.

AEG, meanwhile, says Majestic has employed a team of lobbyists and consultants tasked with derailing plans for a downtown stadium.

The Los Angeles City Council last month unanimously approved a framework deal on the proposal with AEG. The agreement requires the developer to extend a series of financial guarantees over the course of the project as a safeguard against shortfalls and other risks.

Council members said they were swayed by arguments that the plan would create jobs, generate tax revenue and allow for the convention center to receive much-needed renovations.

The companies’ proposals are the latest — and perhaps the most advanced — in a series of efforts to return an NFL team to Southern California about 16 years after the Raiders and the Rams left the region within months of one another.

Past efforts to renovate the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum or Pasadena’s Rose Bowl or build a new stadium in Carson,

Anaheim or other nearby cites, were thwarted by community opposition or other hurdles.

Perez sidestepped criticism of the latearriving legislation, saying it is the products of months of discussions that led to the best possible outcome. The legislation was introduced Friday in the form of a so-called “gutand-amend” bill that previously addressed higher education.

Opposition to the bill could come from lawmakers in the San Diego area, where fans fear that the Chargers could be tempted north to play in a new stadium.

Chargers officials have said they wanted to move from the aging Qualcomm stadium to a newer, better-equipped venue, but that they would concentrate on building something locally before considering any out-oftown moves.

The lawmakers were asked Friday if they would be willing to extend similar treatment to other California cities hoping to attract sports franchises.

“I’ve got to tell you, I haven’t seen many other developers who want to say ‘We’ll completely finance it ourselves, and hold us to the highest standard of the environment of anybody in the country,’ but if those are out there...” said Perez.

Padilla said only the owners can decide where franchises locate, but the lawmakers can offer a venue that provides economic benefits to the NFL and the city.

Other potentially targeted teams for Los Angeles include the Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars.

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WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

13

So Cal College student accused of Facebook threat

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. A Southern California student was arrested hours after investigators discovered threats on his Facebook page claiming he was planning Virginia Techstyle violence at a small San Bernardino County community college, authorities said.

“Obviously, it was very alarming once that was read,” sheriff ’s spokesman Cynthia Bachman said of the threat to Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, Calif. The two-year school 70 miles east of Los Angeles has about 6,200 students.

Stanley Roring, 30, pleaded not guilty Thursday to a felony count of making a terrorist threat. He remained in jail Friday with bail set at $50,000.

Roring was arrested hours after school district police contacted sheriff ’s deputies on Wednesday about Roring’s Facebook postings, the San Bernardino County Sun reported Friday. Roring’s Facebook page can no longer be found.

Roring warned of “genocide” against the school, stating “it would be similar in nature to the school shooting which occurred at Virginia Tech” in 2007. Thirty-two people were killed and 25 were wounded by a gunman in that attack.

The threat was described by Bachman as

a “general, blanket threat” against the school.

“But he did indicate that (the attack) would be similar to the shooting at Virginia Tech,” Bachman said.

Investigators served a search warrant at Roring’s home in the Grand Terrace area.

Detectives won’t release details about what was found, Bachman said.

A friend or acquaintance notified school police about Roring’s postings.

The college staff was stunned, said Crafton Hills president Gloria Harrison.

“But, we are gratified at the courage of the person who reported this matter and grateful to the law enforcement officers who resolved the matter so quickly and without any injury to anyone and without any disruption of classes or work at Crafton Hills College,” Harrison said in a statement.

The college disciplinary process has already begun, said Alisa Moore, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino Community College District, adding Roring’s due process rights will be protected. There are no details about what the disciplinary process involves.

Roring pleaded guilty in 2007 to the willful discharge of a firearm in a negligent manner. He was sentenced to 33 days in jail and placed on three years of probation.

Roring might undergo an evaluation to determine his mental state, authorities said.

Gov. Brown seeks to raise state firefighting fee to $175

BY DON THOMPSON Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. California’s annual fireprotection fee on rural property owners would rise from a maximum of $150 to a minimum of $175 under legislation proposed Friday by Gov. Jerry Brown, who is seeking to fix a law he signed less than two months ago.

He also wants to ensure the revenue can be used by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Associated Press reported last month that the law could end up draining $50 million from the state’s firefighting budget this year, and as much as $200 million in future years, unless the wording was changed.

The state fire board voted last month to charge no more than $90, which would reduce the revenue the state had been expecting.

AB1x24, carried by Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, D-Sherman Oaks, would require a fee of “at least” $175 on structures within the state’s responsibility area, plus another $25 for each additional structure on the property.

The fee would apply to about 850,000 properties statewide. About 94 percent are also within a fire protection district, said Department of Finance spokesman H. D. Palmer, so the proposed legislation would reduce their annual fee by $25 to help offset what they already pay for fire protection.

Palmer estimated the proposed bill would bring in $50 million next year, the same as the administration had projected before the forestry board lowered the fee to $90.

The administration wants lawmakers to approve the legislation before they adjourn their fall session next week. The Senate budget committee is scheduled to consider the bill on Tuesday.

The fee has been opposed by Republicans who say it is unfair for rural landowners to

be charged extra for fire protection.

State Sen. Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, is leading an effort to collect enough signatures to put the fee before voters next year. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association is considering a legal challenge, arguing that the fee lacked the needed approval from twothirds of the Legislature and infringes on local governments.

“It simply makes the burden even heavier on rural residents throughout the state of California, where people are already hurting,” Gaines said. He said the state has enough money to provide rural fire protection.

Opponents introduced their own bill Friday, AB1x42, to repeal the current fire fee law.

“It is nothing more than a new way to get more money for government,” Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, said in a statement supporting the repeal bill. He said the fee won’t make things any safer for rural residents.

Democrats say they need only a simple majority to pass their bill in a Legislature where they hold sway.

“This is about restoring fairness for most Californians,” Blumenfield said in a statement. “It’s not fair that they pay the entire fire protection bill for people living in fire prone areas. We are simply asking those residents to pay part of this cost.”

It would require an additional fee of $1 per acre for the first 100 contiguous acres in rural areas where the state provides fire services, with a tiered fee on each additional acre. The total annual fee could not exceed $3,000 for 10,000 or more acres.

The revised bill would also require the state to collect the fee even in years where the state’s firefighting fund has enough money to cover its costs. The law that Brown signed in July law would exempt property owners on years where the fund has a surplus.

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14

WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

We have you covered

The painful, public journey of 9/11 families

BY JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK In some of the nation’s most wounded days, it became a deeply personal, wrenchingly public and wholly uncharted identity: “Sept. 11 family member.”

Many who lost loved ones in the terror attacks felt themselves driven, or pushed, to become symbols of a country’s anguish — an unsought status so freighted that one widow recently wrote that she was “quitting 9/11.”

But for others, it is still the emotional equivalent of a full-time job. In the decade since the attacks, some have weighed in publicly on issues that rippled out from ground zero to a mosque proposed nearby, civilian trials for terror suspects, police radios, Osama bin Laden’s burial at sea and other issues, even as a strain of public sentiment questions why they haven’t moved on.

Anthony Gardner is quick to point out that he feels the attacks affected everyone.

Yet he realizes that others see him and other victims’ relatives as sitting atop a hierarchy of Sept. 11 sorrow. He remembers prevailing on a woman to continue recounting her memories of the attacks after she abruptly stopped, having learned that his brother Harvey died at the trade center.

But as much as Gardner might not want that special status, it gave him, at 25, an unexpected voice in public affairs. He helped lead a push to preserve the twin towers’ footprints and started an organization that developed a Sept. 11 curriculum now used in a few thousand schools. Those projects stirred his interest in history, leading the former corporate communications staffer to graduate school and a new career as head of the New Jersey State Museum. One of his first projects there has been planning an exhibit surrounding the attacks’ 10th anniversary.

He’d like to think the families’ activism carries a message beyond their causes.

“I hope that people look at this and understand that they could do something similar in their own lives and have an impact on things they care about,” he says.

“Regardless of whether they have a loss in their life or not.”

Like it or not, relatives’ willingness to bare their grief and rage has shaped the shadow of Sept. 11, influencing everything from the analysis of intelligence and security failures that enabled the attacks to what is, and is not, being built at the World Trade Center site. But beyond specific projects, the families have, perhaps, changed a broader cultural conversation about victims, the bereaved and their role in defining the legacy of catastrophe.

From the start, Sept. 11 victims’ families were an unmistakably public part of the narrative of the attacks, posting fliers and toting family photos they implored television reporters to broadcast in hopes of locating loved ones.

They soon became, in the media and sometimes in their own word, not “attack victims’ relatives” but “9/11 families.”

It’s convenient shorthand that also places them at the emotional center of the tragedy and suggests their loss makes them victims, too, an idea enshrined in the crime victims’ rights movement.

The Sept. 11 families’ public presence has built openness to talking about loss, crisis and recovering, says Elisabeth SchaeferWuensche, an American studies scholar affiliated with Germany’s University of Bonn, which is holding an upcoming conference on the attacks’ aftermath.

But, she said, “speaking from a victim’s position as a single, long-term, defining platform does entail problems.”

The 2001 attacks came amid ambivalence about the status and meaning of victimhood. While the rights movement gave vic-

tims a new prominence in the criminal justice system, some politicians and pundits were decrying “victimism,” or what they saw as people in the culture at refusing to take responsibility for problems in the culture at large, notes Alyson M. Cole, a Queens College political science professor and the author of “The Cult of True Victimhood: From the War on Welfare to the War on Terror,” published in 2007.

As the war on terror became a defining issue of President George W. Bush’s administration, “the families of 9/11 were in fact privileged victims,” Cole said by e-mail.

But to Diane Horning, who became outspoken on issues related to Sept. 11 victims’ remains after losing her son, Matthew, “the willingness to go public has had opposing ramifications” — on one hand encouragement and admiration, on the other criticism that the families’ public exposure is unseemly and attention-seeking.

Conservative pundit, Glenn Beck, said in 2005 that he wished some victims’ relatives would “shut up.” “They’re always complaining, and we did our best for them.”

Plenty of others spurn such views as insensitive. Still, the push-and-pull of public attitudes toward Sept. 11 victims’ families came to grate on Nikki Stern. She got involved in 9/11related causes after her husband, James Potorti, died at the trade center. But she said on her blog in July that she was “quitting 9/11.”

Stern was, she wrote, tired of being treated “as if I were a victim or a moral beacon or, God forbid, an opportunist: a symbol of resilience; a receptacle for a nation’s fear, anger, resentment and confusion; someone forever defined by one unexpected, violent, and oh so public event.”

Ask other 9/11 family members why they stay involved in fraught debates that keep their decade-old loss in the forefront of their lives, and the answer is neither pat nor uniform: because it was a way to channel anger about something they couldn’t do anything about into something they could; because other victims’ relatives would rather stay silent. Because journalists keep asking.

Because they sense the pull of apathy on an event the world said it would never forget.

Because the attacks’ aftermath has imbued them with frustration about politics and the calculus of power.

Ten years out, 9/11 is still central to Sally Regenhard’s life. Her son, Christian, a probationary firefighter and former Marine, was killed at the trade center. Three months later, the former nursing home administrator held her first press conference, pressing for a federal investigation into why the towers weren’t able to withstand the impact of the hijacked planes.

Since then, Regenhard has successfully sued to make officials let the public hear tapes of 911 calls from the trade center and pushed to change city building codes to make skyscrapers safer. An emergencyresponse research center named for her son has been established at a Manhattan college.

She has spoken out on a slew of subjects, and not shyly. At a 2004 meeting of the federal commission that investigated the attacks, she made a stir by holding up signs reading “TRUTH” or “LIES” as she saw fit, and shouted at former Mayor Rudy Giuliani that her son “was murdered because of your incompetence!”

Still, Regenhard has mixed feelings about continuing to be a public face of 9/11 grief.

“I want to stop. I really do. It’s not a pastime,” she said in a recent interview. But “it’s very hard to get away from it when so many things are still wrong. ... I want to force the system to live up to their responsibility to protect the public, and it’s not being done as well as it should be.”

National WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

Visit us online at smdp.com

15

Facing voter discontent, lawmakers skip town halls

BY JERI CLAUSING Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Too much yelling, not enough listening.

Facing organized, often raucous confrontations at political events, some members of Congress this summer abandoned the long-time tradition of open meetings with the folks back home.

It was goodbye to one of the few remaining opportunities for voters and lawmakers to talk face to face.

Some cited security in the aftermath of the shooting that severely wounded Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords at a meet-and-greet event in January. Others blamed grass-roots groups for commandeering the town halls.

Still others opted for smaller, sometimes private or paid events.

Whatever the explanation, the dearth of meetings sparked criticism that lawmakers were dodging their constituents when Congress is held in such low regard. A recent Associated Press-GFK poll showed 87 percent of Americans disapprove of lawmakers’ job performance.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., described the trend as disappointing.

“I think (the town hall meeting) is one of the fundamentals of our government process, our democratic process — meeting with people and responding to them,” said McCain, who held six town hall meetings this summer, including one in Tucson, where the Giffords shooting occurred.

While McCain said he understood the desire to avoid the “despicable” people who disrupt town halls, he said the decision to

avoid them lets “those bad people win.”

According to CQ-Roll Call, which kept a count, lawmakers held just over 500 town halls this summer compared to more than 650 in 2009 when the rancor over President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul turned some events into shouting matches. This summer’s recess began immediately after a down-to-the-wire, fiercely partisan debate on raising the debt limit and cutting spending.

The actual number of members holding the meetings dropped just slightly, from 164 to 154. It was not clear, however, if those numbers included pay-to-attend meetings that drew constituent ire in some states.

Protesters swarmed a $10-a-plate luncheon in Duluth, Minn., for freshman Republican Rep. Chip Cravaak to complain that his only two free town halls were in remote, rural areas. Cravaak, who has said he got into politics because his predecessor, Rep. Jim Oberstar, refused to meet with him about the health care law, then held a town hall in Duluth.

More than 200 people showed up for what ended up being a sometimes contentious hour-long discussion with the lawmaker.

“If nothing else, we gave them a voice and I heard them and I listened to them,” Cravaack said.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi held some town halls in California, but was heckled by those upset about the debt-ceiling deal. When she argued that Democrats fended off cuts to entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare, she was loudly chided for voting for “that Satan sandwich” and called a “sell-out.”

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan held standing-room-only town halls in the spring while the federal budget debate raged, and faced occasional heckling.

This summer, while supporters urged the Wisconsin Republican to run for president, he held only one town hall — by telephone, with only a few hours’ advance notice to constituents.

Pressed on whether this made it harder for people to discuss issues with their congressman, spokesman Kevin Seifert said no.

Ryan is scheduled to headline a $15-a-head event next week at a Rotary Club in Greenfield, Wis., at the Rotary’s invitation.

In Pennsylvania, freshman Republican Lou Barletta, who last year chided his Democratic predecessor Paul Kanjorski for failing to hold town halls, cited the Giffords shooting and what he said was organized harassment by the liberal group MoveOn.org, for not holding any town halls this summer, according to local media reports.

“The behavior of these protesters has put myself, my staff and innocent people in attendance at risk,” he said.

Justin Ruben, executive director of MoveOn.org, said they simply let people know about opportunities for voters to address their elected officials.

“People won’t go unless they are passionate,” he said. “In 2009, there were large groups of people who were really concerned about health care. You can’t manufacture that. You can tell a lot of lies if you want ... but the concern is real. People have really busy lives. And we can’t get them to turn out to a town hall meeting and ask about jobs if they are not so frustrated that no one in

Washington seems to be doing the right thing.”

Tea Party activists have also been blamed for disrupting the public forums. But Tea Party Express spokesman Levi Russell said his group has not been coordinating any protests at town halls this summer. Still, he agreed with Ruben that members need to make themselves available to the public — even when voter anger is high.

“These people are not kings. They are put here for a short, determined amount of time to vote for the people in their district — not to go to Washington and do whatever the hell they want,” Russell said.

In New Mexico, only two of the state’s five-member congressional delegation held town halls. Those skipping such events were Rep. Martin Heinrich, who is running for Senate. Heinrich and Democratic Sen. Tom Udall said they were focused on attending community events and visiting local businesses during the August break.

Ruben, however, called such events a “really poor substitute.”

“Imagine you’re a worker at one of these companies,” he said. “Your member of Congress gets invited by your bosses, so your CEO is standing there next to your congressman. Are you going to stand up and say, ‘How come you’re not taxing the rich?’”

Those events are also generally closed to the public. Food giant General Mills, Inc., refused to let a reporter cover a meeting Heinrich held at its Albuquerque cereal plant with employees there on Wednesday.

McCain said he has been holding town halls for 30 years, and to “stop now would be ridiculous.”

Sports 16

WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

We have you covered

Judge rejects Roger Clemens’ bid to avoid perjury retrial

BY NEDRA PICKLER Associated Press

SURF CONDITIONS

WATER TEMP: 61°

SWELL FORECAST NW swell come ashore, hitting SB/VC early in the day, and finally SD mid to late morning. Size should run head high at most west facing breaks with pluses at standouts going about 2' overhead.

LONG RANGE SYNOPSIS NW

IS EXPECTED TO BACK OFF A BIT, MORE ALONG THE LINES OF CHEST TO AT TIMES HEAD HIGH FOR WEST FACING BREAKS.

TIDE FORECAST

FOR

TODAY

IN

SANTA MONICA

WASHINGTON A federal judge ruled Friday that Roger Clemens must face another trial on charges of lying about drug use, although the judge criticized prosecutors’ mishandling of evidence during a July mistrial and questioned the fairness of making the former star pitcher pay to defend himself twice.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton set a new trial for April 17. Clemens attorney Rusty Hardin said he may appeal Walton’s decision.

Walton said if Clemens wants to do that, he must request an expedited review by the appeals court to avoid more delays in the case.

Clemens listened intently while both sides argued passionately over his fate, but only spoke briefly to tell Walton he would waive his right to a speedy trial because a member of his defense team has another trial scheduled this fall requiring the long delay in his case.

A prosecutor grew emotional as he took full blame for the first mistrial. And Clemens’ attorney Michael Attanasio admitted he may sound angry in court because he is — on behalf of his client. “By God, he doesn’t deserve this,” Attanasio said.

Walton said although he’s concerned about the prosecution’s violation of his orders by showing jurors inadmissible evidence, current law does not allow him to throw out the indictment. He said the Supreme Court has set a high bar — Clemens needed to convince him that prosecutors intentionally goaded the ex-pitcher into requesting a mistrial. Walton said his review of case law found no defendant who has been able to meet that requirement.

Prosecutors argued they made an inadvertent mistake that caused the trial’s quick end on its second day of testimony. They said that throwing out the indictment would violate society’s interest in seeing violations of law dealt with at trial. Clemens’ lawyer had argued that prosecutors shouldn’t be rewarded with another chance. “This case should end,” said Attanasio, who contended prosecutors deliberately flouted Walton’s ruling.

At least one former teammate of Clemens expressed sympathy for his situation. “I feel bad that he had to go through it,” the New York Yankees’ captain and star shortstop Derek Jeter said. “I don’t know the details; it’s too bad he has to go through it.”

Walton stopped the first trial on July 14 after prosecutors played a videotape of Clemens’ 2008 testimony to a House committee in which he denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens is charged with lying under oath when he made those denials.

On the tape prosecutors were showing to jurors, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., pointed out that Clemens’ good friend and teammate, Andy Pettitte, says Clemens admitted using human growth hormone in a private conversation in 1999 or 2000.

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Clemens responded that Pettitte “misheard” or “misremembered” their conversation. But Cummings said Pettitte’s wife, Laura, had given lawmakers an affidavit saying that her husband told her about the conversation with Clemens at the time it happened.

Walton had ruled before the trial began that Laura Pettitte’s comments were inadmissible hearsay because she didn’t speak to Clemens directly. When jurors began to hear about her statement, Walton quickly cut off the tape and admonished prosecutors.

At the time prosecutors did not say it was a mistake, but in recent filings to the court they said they said they mistakenly forgot to scrub their exhibits to comply with the judge’s order, made of the eve of the trial, in the press of other matters like jury selection and opening arguments.

Attanasio repeatedly accused prosecutors of having a “win-at-all-costs mentality” with all the media attention to the case. “There is no doubt, no doubt, this was a calculated effort to make an end run around this court’s ruling,” Attanasio said.

Walton pointed out that the prosecutors were highly experienced and should have known their evidence and even if they forgot to adjust their exhibits, they should have stopped the tape when the inadmissible statements were about to be made. He said the fact they didn’t would “tend to suggest there was willful intent.”

He later said he wants to believe it was a mistake because he has high respect for trial attorneys Steven Durham and Daniel Butler, both of whom have been before him on other matters, but Walton said the record seemed to suggest it was intentional. “It’s hard for me to reach any other conclusion,” Walton said.

Durham responded with an emotional attempt to convince the judge he would never violate his orders “not in this case — whether it’s against Roger Clemens or Roger Jones.” He said he let down his colleagues and a lot of other people and took full blame. “I made the mistake. It’s on me,” he said. He said he’s been arguing cases in front of Walton for 17 years and knows he sets a high standard that he wouldn’t attempt to violate.

“My father was in the courtroom on July 14,” Durham said, his voice shaking. “I would never, never dishonor my family by violating the rule of the court. I would never do that.”

Attanasio pointed out that although Clemens made a lot of money during his major league career — about $165 million, a figure the attorney did not mention — he is 47 years old and needs to support his family for the rest of his life on it. He said Clemens shouldn’t have to pay for another trial. Walton agreed that “it doesn’t seem fair” and questioned whether prosecutors should pick up the tab for the first trial because of their errors.

“Obviously it costs Mr. Clemens a lot of money,” Walton said. “Should the United States government have to cough up the money to pay for that?”

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Comics & Stuff WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

Visit us online at smdp.com

17

MOVIE TIMES Aero Theatre 1328 Montana Ave. (310) 260-1528 Saturday, Sept. 3 Los Angeles Plays Itself (NR) 2hrs 49min 7:30pm Sunday, Sept. 4 Los Angeles Plays Itself (NR) 2hrs 49min 7:30pm Director Thom Andersen in person.

AMC Loews Broadway 4 1441 Third Street Promenade (888) 262-4386 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (PG-13) 2hrs 10min 11:35am, 2:45pm, 6:00pm, 9:15pm Rise of the Planet of the Apes (PG-13) 1hr 44min 12:15pm, 2:55pm, 5:30pm, 8:15pm, 10:45pm One Day (PG-13) 1hr 47min 5:00pm, 7:40pm, 10:20pm Smurfs (PG) 1hr 42min 11:30am, 2:15pm Good Old Fashioned Orgy (R) 1hr 35min 11:45am, 2:30pm, 5:15pm, 8:00pm, 10:40pm

AMC 7 Santa Monica 1310 Third St. (310) 451-9440 Debt (R) 1hr 53min 11:10am, 2:05pm, 5:05pm, 8:00pm, 10:45pm

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (PG-13) 1hr 44min 11:30am, 2:10pm, 5:00pm, 7:40pm, 10:20pm Crazy, Stupid, Love (PG-13) 1hr 47min 11:05am, 2:00pm, 5:00pm, 7:45pm, 10:30pm Colombiana (PG-13) 1hr 47min 11:15am, 2:00pm, 4:45pm, 7:30pm, 10:15pm The Help (PG-13) 2hrs 17min 11:55am, 3:30pm, 7:00pm, 10:25pm

1hr 51min 1:50pm, 4:40pm, 7:20pm, 9:55pm Our Idiot Brother (R) 1hr 30min 12:30pm, 2:55pm, 5:20pm, 7:45pm, 10:10pm Chasing Madoff! (NR) 1hr 31min 11:00am, 1:00pm, 6:10pm 5 Days of War (R) 1hr 53min 1:30pm, 4:20pm, 7:10pm, 10:00pm

Shark Night 3D (PG-13) 1hr 35min 2:20pm, 7:25pm

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Spy Kids: All the Time in the World 3D (PG) 1hr 29min 1:45pm, 7:00pm

Captain America: The First Avenger (PG-13) 2hrs 05min 11:00am, 1:50pm, 4:40pm, 7:30pm, 10:25pm

Shark Night (PG-13) 1hr 35min 11:45am, 4:50pm, 10:00pm

Cowboys & Aliens (PG-13) 1hr 58min 11:15am, 2:00pm, 4:50pm, 7:45pm, 10:35pm

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (PG) 1hr 29min 11:20am, 4:20pm, 9:30pm

30 Minutes or Less (R) 1hr 23min 4:30pm, 7:00pm, 9:30pm Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (R) 1hr 40min 11:50am, 2:30pm, 5:15pm, 8:00pm, 10:40pm

Laemmle’s Monica Fourplex 1332 Second St. (310) 478-3836

Apollo 18 (PG-13) 1hr 26min 11:45am, 2:15pm, 4:35pm, 7:15pm, 9:45pm

Mozart's Sister (Nannerl, la Soeur de Mozart) (NR) 2hrs 11:00am, 3:20pm, 8:30pm

Cars 2 (G) 1hr 53min 11:10am, 1:40pm

Buck (PG) 1hr 28min 11:00am

Saving Private Perez (Salvando al soldado Perez) (PG-13) 1hr 45min 11:05am, 1:35pm, 4:15pm, 7:00pm, 9:50pm

MYSTERY PHOTO

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For more information, e-mail news@smdp.com

Throw a party tonight, Aquarius ARIES (March 21-April 19)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

★★★★ Have that important discussion.

Midafternoon, once you get something off your chest, you naturally open up and see another perspective. The unexpected continues to create insights. Tonight: Let your mind wander.

★★★★★ Deal with others directly. Handle your finances on your own. Don't delegate, if possible, as others are not predictable. You are tossing a responsibility on a roller-coaster ride. Step back and take another look. Tonight: Your treat.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

★★★★ A partner commands your attention, like it or not. You might want to try one of his or her ideas and see if it is workable. An abrupt "no" simply won't work. In the late afternoon, conversations with your significant other or a key person in your life flourish. Tonight: Talk over a luscious dinner.

★★★★ Pressure builds. You might have more to say in the morning; by the afternoon, it appears you toss care to the wind. A marked tendency to indulge emerges. This attitude might be OK considering all the recent stress.

Tonight: Time to treat yourself and others!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

★★★ You finally complete a project that has

★★★★ Once you get going, you could be a

taken way too long. Join a friend or loved one, even if this person is in the midst of his or her plans. A spontaneous party could ensue out of the blue. It must be said that once you lighten your load, you feel so good. Tonight: "Yes" is the right answer.

force to stop. Your high energy and charisma help design your plans, as well as several others' plans. Your ability to energize others emerges.

Kiss away any rigidity. Tonight: All smiles.

The Meaning of Lila

By John Forgetta & L.A. Rose

Garfield

By Jim Davis

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) CANCER (June 21-July 22) with a wayward child or loved one. Pressure builds outside your home, whether it is checking on an older relative or some other matter involving responsibility. Tonight: Express your caring in a manner in which the other person can hear it.

★★★ Use the morning, when you naturally energize, making nearly anything possible.

Your smile and winning ways draw quite a few people. Don't under-estimate a family member.

You could be quite surprised by what this person might do to get your attention. Tonight: Entertain from home.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

★★★★ Complete a task that might involve

★★★ You don't need to prove anything. You

your home. Once you wave goodbye to certain responsibilities, you feel carefree. You naturally surprise a loved one with a great idea. A good time will be had by all if you let go and are spontaneous. Tonight: Adding to the moment.

are a great friend and a strong communicator.

If someone is taken aback by you, possibly it could be the result of this person not really understanding you. Worry less. Tonight: Throw a spontaneous party.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

★★★★ Remain direct in the morning, and

★★★★ Touch base with an older relative who

you'll get a good response. Know what is happening on the home front. Pay attention, and you'll get results. Understand what is happening within your familial circle. Tonight: You could stun someone with your reaction.

means a lot to you. In fact, be spontaneous when making plans. Let go of money concerns, just for a little while. You'll loosen up. Let someone else treat, especially as he or she really wants to. Tonight: In the limelight.

★★★★ You might want to try another approach

Happy birthday Your precision and emphasis on details allow unusual depth and perception, if you detach. You could become well known for your ability to sleuth out an issue and come up with several viable alternatives. Your finances

JACQUELINE BIGAR’S STARS The stars show the kind of day you’ll have: ★★★★★Dynamic ★★ So-So ★★★★ Positive ★ Difficult ★★★ Average

could be subject to wild swings. Curb taking risks, but perhaps pursue extra work using the above mentioned skills. If you are single, a newfound intensity draws potential suitors. Choose the person who best suits your personality and long-term desires.

If you are attached, don't turn a magnifier on your partner and indulge in criticism. Rather, accept your sweetie. SAGITTARIUS can be an emotional weight.

Strange Brew

By John Deering

Speed Bump

By Dave Coverly

Puzzles & Stuff 18

WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

We have you covered

Sudoku

DAILY LOTTERY 2 22 25 28 50 Meganumber: 18 Jackpot: $29M

Fill in the blank cells using numbers 1 to 9. Each number can appear only once in each row, column, and 3x3 block. Use logic and process of elimination to solve the puzzle. The difficulty level ranges from ★ (easiest) to ★★★★★ (hardest).

2 22 27 31 32 Meganumber: 11 Jackpot: $7M 14 21 24 34 39 MIDDAY: 8 0 5 EVENING: 4 5 4 1st: 03 Hot Shot 2nd: 04 Big Ben 3rd: 01 Gold Rush RACE TIME: 1:44.47 Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the winning number information, mistakes can occur. In the event of any discrepancies, California State laws and California Lottery regulations will prevail. Complete game information and prize claiming instructions are available at California Lottery retailers. Visit the California State Lottery web site at http://www.calottery.com

NEWS OF THE WEIRD BY

SHEPARD

■ In March (1998), trial began in Lesli Szabo's $1.7 million lawsuit against a Hamilton, Ontario, hospital for not making her 1993 childbirth pain-free. (Physicians said that painless childbirth cannot be achieved without the anesthesia's endangering the child.)

Szabo admitted to previous runins with physicians, explaining, "When I'm in pain, the (words) that come out of my mouth would curl your hair." In the lawsuit, Szabo said she expected to be able to read or knit while the baby was being delivered. (The parties eventually settled the lawsuit.)

King Features Syndicate

GETTING STARTED

CHUCK

SOLUTIONS TO YESTERDAY’S PUZZLE

There are many strategies to solving Sudoku. One way to begin is to examine each 3x3 grid and figure out which numbers are missing.

Then, based on the other numbers in the row and column of each blank cell, find which of the missing numbers will work. Eliminating numbers will eventually lead you to the answer.

TODAY IN HISTORY "Nino" Farina becomes the first Formula One Drivers' champion after winning the 1950 Italian Grand Prix.

The first long-running American television soap opera, Search for Tomorrow, airs its first episode on the CBS network.

The People's Liberation Army begins shelling the Republic of China-controlled islands of Quemoy.

The German U-Boat U505 begins its move from a specially constructed dock to its final site at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.

Dagen H in Sweden: traffic changes from driving on the left to driving on the right overnight.

Qatar becomes an independent state Viking program: The American Viking 2 spacecraft lands at Utopia Planitia on Mars.

In a coup d'état in Burundi, President Jean-Baptiste Bagaza is deposed

by Major Pierre Buyoya.

Sino-Soviet Split: Russia and the People's Republic of China agree to de-target their nuclear weapons against each other.

– A Vietnam Airlines Tupolev TU-134 crashes on approach into Phnom Penh airport, killing 64.

1950 1951

1954 1954

TM

– Arithmo Crossmath – Reclaim Your Brain • Insert the given numbers in the empty squares so when they are calculated in threes from left to right and top to bottom they satisfy the demands in the shaded boxes both horizontally and vertically.

• Each empty square dictates the math operation that must be performed to meet the demands.

• Remember to multiply or divide before you add or subtract.

Go to www.zokigames.net for more fun and challenging games and links to our mobile phone apps.

1967 1971 1976

1987

1994 1997

WORD UP! darkle \DAHR-kuhl\ , verb; 1. To grow dark, gloomy, etc.

2. To appear dark; show indistinctly.

WEEKEND EDITION, SEPTEMBER 3-4, 2011

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NUMBER: 2011062884 ORIGINAL FILING This statement was filed with the County Clerk of LOS ANGELES on 07/13/2011 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as POWER ADVERTISEMENT GROUP. The full name of registrant(s) is/are: Haruka Momose 100 S. Alameda St., Suite 436 Los Angeles, CA 90012. This Business is being conducted by: an Individual. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed on (Date)07/12/2011. /s/: Haruka Momose. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of LOS ANGELES County on 07/13/2011. NOTICE: THIS FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT EXPIRES FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED PRIOR TO THAT DATE. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name statement in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411et seq.,Business and Professions Code). SANTA MONICA DAILY PRESS to publish 08/13/2011, 08/20/2011, 08/27/2011, 09/03/2011.

Superman Handyman Service KITCHEN, BATH REMODELS, TILE, GRANITE, MARBLE, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING 20 years of great local references

Upscale assisted living facility is looking for FT/PT cooks and PT dishwasher to assist in the Dining Services Dept.

Experience preferred. Must have clear criminal background and pre-employment drug screening required. If interested, please fill out an application at 2107 Ocean Ave. SM 90405

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DBAS

HAIRSTYLIST AND MANICURE station for rent Santa Monica (310) 449-1923

FULL TIME position as nanny sought M-F. Good References. Child Development certified, Marta 213-926-1315, mlhuezo@hotmail.com

19

Super Work, Great Value!

Erik

310-508-3828 Moving

Yard Sales MOVING SALE 1518 12th Street, S.M. Appliances, TVs, furniture, toys, clothes, great stuff!

9/3 & 9/4

For Rent Legal Services HOWARD MANAGEMENT GROUP (310)869-7901 2104 Ocean Park Blvd # 1 1 Bed 1 Bath $1,395.00 1120 6th Street Unit # 10 2 Bed 1 Bath $1,795.00 1825 Midvale Ave # 101 2 Bed 2 1/2 Bath Condo $2,795.00 WE HAVE MORE VACANCIES ON THE WESTSIDE. PETS WELCOME www.howardmanagement.com rentals@howardmanagement.com

Services Handyman

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SINCE 1967 RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL SPECIALISTS IN ALL DAMAGE REPAIR “EXPERT IN GREEN CONCEPTS” Free estimates, great referrals

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Massage Unwind your Body & Mind! Rolf Structural Integration bodywork reorganizes the muscular/connective tissue of the body allowing for better posture, energy, injury/accident recovery. Inner Light Manual Therapy of Santa Monica (310) 924-1920. Jon Stange, certified Rolf practitioner.

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